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Topic: Dryer noise and overheating (Read 1957 times)

I have an older GE dryer (from about 1997 - model dbb3300ea0ww) that has been in storage a few years and I'm trying to get it working again. When I plugged it back in it was making a horrible chirping sound, so I ordered a rear bearing kit on ebay. While putting that in I found that the front bearings were shot, glides were completely worn through and the plastic support had been worn away too. So, I ordered a new front bearing and glides.

Got that all done and now the screech is gone, but instead I've got a lovely rhythmic thunking sound and an occasional rhythmic metallic scratching sound. On top of that, on several occasions it has shut down mid cycle and won't start up again until it cools off, leading me to believe the motor is overheating.

Now, the catch is, I ordered a cheap bearing kit off ebay and it ended up being a poor quality knockoff. The bearing itself looks ok but the backing plate was missing the slot to attach the grounding strap, so I reused the old backing plate (the metal part attached to the back panel that suports the drum/bearing). I suspect that there is a poor fit between the new bearing and old plate causing the noise and that a real OEM ge bearing kit would fix that. What I'm not sure about, however, is the overheating.

I've spent about $50 so far and the dryer isn't worth a lot so I'm reluctant to put more money in it when I can pick one up on craigslist for 150. At this point what I'm wondering is, what are the odds that the bearing issue could also be causing the motor to work harder and overheat? And is there anyway I can test things further before spending more money?

I can't think of anything else that would cause the overheating. I thoroughly cleaned everything out while it was apart so I know there are no lint blockages, and the airflow out the vent is great. The pulley tension is also good, no slippage as far as I can tell and the belt is in good shape.

The over heated motor and thumping sounds are due to poor drum rotation.Double check drum alignment.Make sure the belt is around the pulley and not the shaft..The motor may have moved in its cradle and the drum could be thumping the motor.Check the belt tension roller for internal wear or binding.